Seat for patrol vehicle

ABSTRACT

A seat for use in a motor vehicle has a seat portion, and a back portion having a lower end that is pivotably coupled to the seat portion. The back portion has a cut-out section adjacent the lower end, with the thickness of the back portion at the cut-out section being less than the thickness of the remainder of the back portion. The cut-out section accomodates the police officer&#39;s gun belt so that the gun belt and its objects (such as a pistol and handcuffs) will not exert an awkward pressure on the lower back region of the officer&#39;s body.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to a seat for use in a police patrol vehicle, in particular, to a seat that is effective is reducing the pressures caused by a gun belt on a police officer's back.

[0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art

[0004] Police officers typically wear a gun belt and armor in addition to their regular uniforms. The gun belt can be quite thick in dimension (e.g., up to three inches), and therefore protrudes from the officer's waist. Most officers will wear the gun belt when they are seated inside a patrol vehicle during their on-duty hours. When seated inside a patrol vehicle wearing a gun belt, the gun belt and its objects (such as a pistol and handcuffs) will exert an awkward pressure on the lower back region of the officer's body. As a result, many police officers have experienced sore, stiff backs, and lower back pains that are caused by the pressure exerted by the gun belt.

[0005] Thus, there remains a need for an improved seat for use in a patrol vehicle which overcomes the problems described above.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0006] It is an object of the present invention to provide a car seat for a patrol vehicle which allows a police officer to wear a gun belt while seated therein.

[0007] It is another object of the present invention to provide a car seat for a patrol vehicle that is effective in reducing the pressures caused by a gun belt on a police officer's back.

[0008] It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a car seat for a patrol vehicle that allows for a shotgun to be positioned in a conveniently-accessible location while maintaining a high level of comfort for the police officers seated in the patrol vehicle.

[0009] It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a car seat for a patrol vehicle that provides improved cushioning of the seat portion.

[0010] In order to accomplish the objects of the present invention, the present invention provides a seat for use in a motor vehicle, having a seat portion, and a back portion having a lower end that is pivotably coupled to the seat portion, the back portion having a cut-out section adjacent the lower end where the thickness of the back portion at the cut-out section is less than the thickness of the remainder of the back portion. The cut-out section accomodates the police officer's gun belt so that the gun belt and its objects (such as a pistol and handcuffs) will not exert an awkward pressure on the lower back region of the officer's body.

[0011] The seat of the present invention can also include a shotgun holder provided in a cut-out on the door-facing side of the seat portion to accomodate a shotgun. In addition, the seat portion can be provided with a wire mesh and at least one stiffening rod extending across a portion of the wire mesh, so as to provide improved cushioning for the seat portion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012]FIG. 1 is a side plan view of a seat for use in a patrol vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0013]FIG. 2 is a front plan view of the seat of FIG. 1.

[0014]FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the seat of FIG. 1.

[0015]FIG. 4 is an isolated view of the stiffening rod used in the seat of FIG. 1.

[0016]FIG. 5 is an exploded top plan view of the seat of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0017] The following detailed description is of the best presently contemplated modes of carrying out the invention. This description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating general principles of embodiments of the invention. The scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.

[0018] One preferred embodiment of a seat 10 according to the present invention is illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. The seat 10 can have the same construction and features as any conventional vehicle seat, except for the features described below. The seat 10 has a conventional internal frame and conventional seat springs that support a seat portion 12 and a back portion 14. The back portion 14 has a lower end which can be pivoted with respect to the seat portion 12 (see arrow A in FIG. 1) in the same manner as any conventional vehicle seat. A release lever 56 can be provided on one side of the seat portion 12 for pivoting the back portion 14 in the two directions indicated by the arrow A in FIG. 1. A conventional head rest 15 can be provided at the top of the back portion 14. Conventional seat belts 17 can be provided on the seat portion 12 and the back portion 14. A pair of seat rails 16 are provided to secure the frame 58 and the seat portion 12 to the automobile in the same manner as for conventional vehicle seats. A conventional slide lever 18 can be provided to adjust the position of the seat portion 12 with respect to the rails 16. For example, the slide lever 18 can be embodied in the form of a bar that is connected to a spring release mechanism (not shown) that unlocks the seat portion 12 from the rails 16 to allow the seat portion 12 to be slid along the rails 16.

[0019] The seat portion 12 can be the same as any conventional seat portion. However, the back portion 14 is provided with a cut-out section 24 at the lower one-third of the back portion 14. In other words, the lower one-third of the back portion 14 has a smaller thickness than the other portions of the back portion 14. In particular, the back portion 14 has an outer surface 26 that extends from the top of the back portion 14 down to the cut-out section 24, where the outer surface 26 transitions into a tapered or angled surface 28 into the cut-out section 24, where it transitions into a rear surface 30. The depth of the cut-out section 24 is preferably sized and configured so as to comfortably accomodate a gun belt, and in one embodiment can be about 4 inches to accomodate the typical three-inch thickness of most conventional gun belts. The angled surface 28 is angled in a manner such that the front opening 32 of the cut-out section 24 is larger than the rear surface 30 of the cut-out section 24. The angled surface 28 is angled in the manner illustrated in FIG. 1 so that the gun belt will not catch the surface 28 when a police officer gets up from the seat 10.

[0020] In addition, as best shown in FIG. 2, the corners 31 of the seat portion 12 at the location where the outer surface 26 transitions into the angled surface 28 can be rounded upwardly so that the side opening 33 of the cut-out section 24 is larger than the normal height 35 of the rear surface 30 of the cut-out section 24. This feature will help to minimize the part of the back portion 14 that normally pushes against the butt of the pistol on a gun belt typically worn by a police officer while seated in the seat 10.

[0021] To further assist a police officer in exiting the vehicle, it is possible to reduce or eliminate the seat bolsters of the seat portion 12 that typically wraps around the sides of the legs of the person sitting in the seat portion 12. The seat bolsters are the upwardly extending sides of a seat portion that help define the concave (or “bucket”) shape of conventional seat portions. Thus, as shown in FIG. 2, the top surface 23 of the seat portion 12 is generally flat, as opposed to being generally concave if the seat bolsters were still provided. Similarly, the bolsters that extend along the sides 25 of the back portion 14 along the outer surface 26 to the corners 31 can also be reduced or eliminated, as desired. Reducing or eliminating the bolsters along the seat portion 12 and the back portion 14 may assist an officer who is wearing body armor by reducing the extra cushioning on the sides of the seat 10 that might exert undesirable pressure onto the gun belt.

[0022] The seat frame (not shown) can be the same type of frame that is typically used for patrol vehicles. This will allow the seat 10 to have the same structural and safety features as conventional patrol vehicle seats. In addition, using the same seat frame as for conventional patrol vehicle seats will allow the seat 10 to bolt into the same location as any conventional patrol vehicle seat without the need for any modifications, adapters or brackets.

[0023] The material of the seat cover and the internal foam material can be the same as, or different from, those of conventional vehicle seats. The seat cover as used herein is defined as the layer of material that covers the back portion 14 and the seat portion 12, and which is exposed for contact by the person sitting on the seat 10. For example, the material of the seat cover will be a durable material such as a heavy-weight cotton duck canvas material. A durable material is important because of the excessive wear and tear experienced by the seat 10. For example, the fact that police officers get into and out of a patrol vehicle many times every day, and the gun belts and other items (e.g., guns, knives, saps, etc.) that are often worn by police officers, will create more wear and tear than normal consumer vehicle seats. In addition, since most police officers wear body armor under an already heavy uniform, the fact that a seat does not feel plush will not be noticed by the police officer.

[0024] The seat portion 12 and the back portion 14 can be constructed out of a foam material that is typically used for conventional vehicle seats. One possible way to make the seat 10 is to add additional foam to the upper part of the back portion 14 along the region of the outer surface 26, so that the original thickness of the back portion 14 at the cut-out section 24 does not need to be changed. For example, the bolsters for the upper part of the back portion 14 would not need to be reduced, and instead foam can be added to bring the outer surface 26 to the same thickness as the bolsters for the upper part of the back portion 14.

[0025] Thus, the cut-out section 24 provides a space for the gun belt to be accomodated so that the police officer can sit comfortably in the seat 10 without experiencing any pressure from the gun belt on any part of his or her back. This will reduce the strain on the back of a police officer, thereby minimizing back-related injuries.

[0026] Since most patrol vehicles are driven almost 24 hours a day, most seats on patrol vehicles begin to lose their cushioning feature after a short period of time so that the seat quickly becomes uncomfortable to sit in. One possible solution is to provide the back portion 14 and seat portion 12 with more foam, as described above. Another possible solution is to improve the support and cushioning in the seat portion 12 by providing stiffening support rods. In particular, referring to FIG. 3, the bottom of the seat portion 12 has a metal plate 66 to which the rails 16 and the foam of the seat portion 12 attach. The slide release bar 18 is attached to the metal plate 66 via brackets 58. A molded housing 65 is provided adjacent the front of the metal plate 66 (near the slide release bar 18) and is adapted to receive a motor (not shown) that drives the forward and rearward adjustment of the seat portion 12. An opening 63 is provided at about the center of the metal plate 66, and a wire mesh 68 is attached to the opening 68 via a plurality of seat springs 60. The wire mesh 68 can be any conventional wire mesh used by conventional vehicle seats, and functions to hold up the foam of the seat portion 12 and provides resiliency to the seat portion 12. In addition to these elements, the seat portion 12 of the present invention further provides a plurality of stiffening rods 70 (see also FIG. 4) that are provided to extend across a portion of the wire mesh 68. A plurality of C-shaped clips 74 are provided to clip each rod 70 to a separate wire in the wire mesh 68. These clips 74 can be any conventional C-shaped clip that can be attached by pliers designed for crimping C-shaped clips. In addition, each stiffening rod 70 has a curved or hooked end 72 that functions to secure or hook one end of the rod 70 into corresponding holes 73 provided in the housing 65 to further prevent the rod 70 from being disengaged from the wire mesh 68. The stiffening rods 70 function to provide support and cushioning to the foam in the seat portion 12.

[0027] The seat 10 can also be provided with a few additional optional features. For example, a flashlight holder 50 can be mounted to the front of the seat portion 12, so as to be positioned under the knees of the occupant. The holder 50 can be made of a plastic material so that the holder 50 will hold its intended shape, and can resemble a tube with an opened end 52 so that a flashlight can be slid into the tube and retained therein. To make it easier for the officer to remove the flashlight from the holder 50, the opened end 52 should face the door side, and the holder 50 should be positioned closer to the door side of the seat portion 12. A covering, which can be the same material as the seat cover (e.g., canvas), can be wrapped around the holder 50 to allow the holder 50 to blend in aesthetically with the seat 10. The inherent inward tension of the tube-like holder 50, coupled with the pressure of an occupant sitting on the seat portion 12, will provide sufficient tension to retain a flashlight inside the holder 50. As an alternative, a flap (not shown) can also be provided on the opened end 52 of the holder 50 to keep the flashlight from slipping out of the holder 50 when the vehicle experiences extreme driving conditions and speeds. The holder 50 will make it easy for the police officer to secure a flashlight to the seat 10. Although FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate the holder 50 as being positioned on the front of the seat portion 12, it is also possible to position the holder 50 along the door side of the seat portion 12. Both these positions for the holder 50 provide a safe and reliable location for storing the flashlight so that a police officer can quickly access the flashlight by swinging an arm down and lifting the flashlight up. The holder 50 can be permanently attached to its desired position by stitching, glue, welding or similar techniques.

[0028] Another option that can be utilized by the seat 10 of the present invention is the provision of a shotgun holder adjacent the seat 10. In particular, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the door-facing side of the back portion 14 and the seat portion 12 can have cut-out areas 78 and 80, respectively, along their sides that are adapted to fit a shotgun 82 positioned in an upright orientation. A shotgun holder 84 is positioned in the space defined by the cut-out areas 78 and 80, and in one of many possible embodiments, is made up of an enclosing wall 86 and a base plate 88 attached to the enclosing wall 86. The enclosing wall 88 can be attached (e.g., using screws 92) to the divider 90 that separates the front part of the patrol vehicle from the rear passenger seating area. This divider 90 is typically made of a wire screen or plexiglass. Thus, the shotgun 82 can be placed in an upright orientation into the holder 84, for example, by placing the handle of the shotgun 82 directly into the holder 84 and having the handle of the shotgun 82 act as a base to support the rest of the shotgun 82. By positioning the shotgun 84 in a location adjacent the door and on the side of the seat 10, the officer can easily and quickly access the shotgun 84 in emergency situations, while at the same not interfering with the comfort of the officer who is seated in the seat 10.

[0029] While the description above refers to particular embodiments of the present invention, it will be understood that many modifications may be made without departing from the spirit thereof. The accompanying claims are intended to cover such modifications as would fall within the true scope and spirit of the present invention. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A vehicle seat for use in a motor vehicle, comprising: a seat portion; and a back portion having a thickness, a lower end that is pivotably coupled to the seat portion, and an upper end, the back portion having a cut-out section adjacent the lower end where the thickness of the back portion at the cut-out section is less than the thickness of the remainder of the back portion.
 2. The seat of claim 1, wherein the back portion has an outer surface that extends from the upper end of the back portion to the cut-out section, and an angled surface that transitions the outer surface into the cut-out section.
 3. The seat of claim 2, wherein the cut-out section has a rear surface, and the angled surface transitions the outer surface to the rear surface.
 4. The seat of claim 1, wherein the cut-out section has a depth of about four inches.
 5. The seat of claim 1, wherein the cut-out section is adjacent and above the seat portion.
 6. The seat of claim 1, further including a flashlight holder attached to the seat portion.
 7. The seat of claim 1, wherein the thickness of the back portion at the cut-out section is less than the thickness of the upper end of the back portion.
 8. The seat of claim 1, wherein the seat portion is devoid of bolsters.
 9. The seat of claim 1, wherein the seat portion has a door-facing side, and further including a shotgun holder provided on the door-facing side of the seat portion.
 10. The seat of claim 9, wherein further including a cut-out defined on the door-facing side of the seat portion.
 11. The seat of claim 10, wherein the back portion has a door-facing side, and further including a cut-out defined on the door-facing side of the back portion.
 12. The seat of claim 1, wherein the seat portion has a wire mesh and at least one stiffening rod extending across a portion of the wire mesh.
 13. A vehicle seat for use in a motor vehicle, comprising: a seat portion having a wire mesh and at least one stiffening rod extending across a portion of the wire mesh; and a back portion having a lower end that is pivotably coupled to the seat portion.
 14. The seat of claim 13, wherein the at least one stiffening rod is connected to the wire mesh.
 15. The seat of claim 14, wherein the at least one stiffening rod has a hooked end.
 16. A vehicle seat for use in a motor vehicle, comprising: a seat portion having a door-facing side and a cut-out provided in the door-facing side; a back portion having a door-facing side and a cut-out provided in the door-facing side, the back portion also having a lower end that is pivotably coupled to the seat portion; and a shotgun holder provided in the cut-out of the seat portion.
 17. The seat of claim 16, wherein the seat portion has a wire mesh and at least one stiffening rod extending across a portion of the wire mesh. 